Turning over a new fitness leaf

Attempting to lose weight is a tricky thing. You feel compelled to tell people so you have something to be accountable to, but then you feel like a failure when you can’t stick with your goals. But if you don’t say anything to anyone, it’s so easy to skip the gym once, twice, forever, and order pizza for the second time in three days. On top of that, weight loss culture is everywhere. Blogs, magazines, cookbooks, the fact that we should be trying harder at losing weight is constantly shoved in your face.

That being said, two months ago, I decided to join the gym again. The decision took a lot of thought, as time and time again, I’ve joined the gym, gone for a few weeks, and at the most, a month, and then it tapers off into being just another bill I pay, with no benefit at all. I did my research, and finally picked Planet Fitness, as there are two locations, one close to where my fiancé and I do our shopping on the weekend, and one right on the route home from work.

This has always been one of my biggest issues when it comes to the gym. My old one was an almost 15 minute walk from my house, with no buses going to it. Having to walk 15 minutes there, and then 15 back, sometimes in knee high snow doesn’t exactly encourage me to go. I’ve found great success in going to a gym that’s on my bus route home. I can see some definition on my arms, and within two months, I’ve been able to increase the weight on the machines from 35 to 55-75, depending on the machine, and I can go longer and harder on the arc trainer. I’m also using the elliptical for the first time in my life. I can use it for a whole 10 minutes!

I also bring my fiancé every Sunday, and he’s gone from being scared of stepping foot in a gym to coming with me every Sunday. Seeing his confidence go up makes me feel amazing. He’s even talking about getting his own membership at some point (right now, he’s a guest on my membership).

The biggest lessons I’ve learnt are to take it at your own pace and not worry about making it a huge deal where you tell everyone and set up expectations, and find a gym that works for you. Those two things make all the difference in the world.

Do you have any tips for successfully becoming healthy and fit? Share them below, because I’d love to know!

What I've Learnt About Love (so far)

It’s a lie. Love is not a fairy tale like the movies make us believe. In fact, nothing is really as it seems. You see relationships from an outsider’s point of view and it looks glossy and perfect. Movies make it seem so magical and (for the most part) easy. I have learned that is not the case.

 When I was younger, I guess I didn’t really understand what true love was. I thought that when you fell in love, everything was just perfect and everything fell into place. You wouldn’t fight or disagree because you loved each other. I figured when it was right, it didn’t require any work whatsoever. Go ahead and laugh at my naivety.

I realize that I was very caught up on a certain kind of person. It’s okay to have a “type”, but be conscious that the person you end up with, may not necessarily be your type. I'll be completely honest in saying that my boyfriend was not my type when I first met him. I honestly didn't think it would work out because of our differences, but something in my mind told me to stay. I'm glad I did.

I am in a relationship that is going on 4 years. I love him. I think he’s the one, but that is not to say that our relationship is perfect. We bicker. We argue. We fight. But we also love and support each other. We are not perfect. To be completely honest, we recently got through a very rough patch.

Some days I feel head over heels in love with him and some days I don’t even particularly like him that much. But that’s normal. Spending so much time with one person – you’re bound to get a little sick of them a little bit.
Saying that, how do I know he’s the one? Because we made the choice to commit to each other and love each other no matter what. Love is a roller coaster – there are so many ups and downs and it’s hard. Not everything falls into place like I thought it did. That’s just not realistic.

It takes a lot of effort sometimes and a lot of compromise. But the key is that this person makes it all worth it. You wouldn’t want to go through it with anyone else. They make you look back on your previous relationships and make you think, “Woah. So this is what true love is.” Everything you thought you knew is out the window and it’s a whole new experience. It’s kind of like your soul just feels complete and happy.

Love isn't always as clear as night and day. There's a lot of uncertainty and it's terrifying. It's so scary to be so open and vulnerable with someone. Letting them into your mind and life, trusting them and giving them your heart to hold. It's not easy. 







So what's the point of this post really? I guess to say that love probably isn't what you think it is. Don't get too caught up in the gloss and the image of perfection. You could let something really good slip by. Relationships are work. Love is work. It can be hard and it can be easy. It's definitely worth it though. I had this idea of what a perfect relationship was and how love should be and I was completely wrong. I almost lost the best I ever had. I would hate for the same to happen to you.

Fairy tales, movies and books are nice and it's okay to wish for those things, but remember that they're not real.
Love is not just a feeling. It's also the choice we make to stay committed to someone.


I hope everyone finds someone to love and to be loved by because when it's good, it's the absolute best thing in the world.

Recent Winners finds!

I recently moved, and I am now within walking distance of a Winners. I've loved this place for years, but now that I'm so close, my new favourite pastime is to head there after work at least once a week and scan the racks for good deals and interesting finds. Now that I'm going more, I've managed to find more than just a good deal on Batiste dry shampoo. Below are a few of my best recent finds.

Look at how adorable this purse is! It was $30, which, to me at least, is a tad pricey for something so small, but it's honestly so amazing. It has the zippered pocket that you can see from the front, then right behind, a little pocket that closes with a magnet, then the whole open inside that opens from the top and has a little "secret" zipper pouch in the back of the inside. It holds everything I need, and my favourite part is that in the big pocket, it has card slots, so I no longer need to carry a wallet. Love it! And such a cute colour for fall!

A while ago, for no particular reason, I became fixated upon owning a pair of black Adidas sweatpants with the word Adidas written on the leg. I was not going to rest until I got them. I checked the Adidas outlet, their website, and Sportchek, and could not find them anywhere. I just happened to be browsing through the men's section one day, looking for clothes for my fiancé, and there they were, the sweatpants of my dreams. For only $45! At least $20 less than any of the other Adidas sweatpants I'd seen in other stores. They're so soft and cozy, perfect for evening walks in the fall, or just lazing around the house!

I've recently started trying to get back in shape, and wanted something a little fancier than an old grocery bag. I looked at a few in a few different stores, but this came out the winner. I love the minty colour, and wired piping around the edges give it structure, which is great. And only $20!

Please ignore the wrinkles in the pillow! I had to test it out before I could say if I liked it! For literally years, my fiancé has complained that my pillows are too thin, so we've finally done something about it. I was looking for something that wasn't too hard and dense, but I didn't want it to be so fluffy that it didn't support my neck. These Calvin Klein pillows are the perfect in between. Somehow firm and light as a cloud all at the same time. And only $30 for two!

While we were in the checkout line for the above pillows, it was going very slowly, which gave us too much time to look at all the snacks they strategically place in the checkout area, and we got trapped with these. But I'm happy we did. It's been years since I've had these, but they're as good as I remember. Delicious crispy cookies, and amazing hazelnut chocolate inside. Yummmmm. I believe they were $3.99. Kind of pricey, but a great treat!

Last but not least, we have one of my favourite cooking gadgets. When I lived with roommates, one of them had a handy dandy steaming container very similar to this. Prior to moving in with this girl, I never ate broccoli. Literally never. She showed me that it can be amazing with just a little bit of water, some salt, and a vented steaming bowl. It is now one of my favourite vegetables, and I eat it all the time. All I do is sprinkle the broccoli with some water and salt, pop the lid vent, and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Voila! Perfectly steamed broccoli, a great addition to any dish, but most especially mashed potatoes. I'm pretty sure it was only about $5!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of my favourite recent Winners finds. Let me know yours in the comments below! If you're in the States, I hear Ross and TJ Maxx are similar to Winners? Have you gotten anything interesting there? I want to hear about it too! I love hearing about bargains!

Skincare: My Current Favourites

Hey guys! Today I just wanted to do a little post to share some of the skincare products I currently use.

Let's start with taking my makeup off. I love the Garnier Micellar water to remove makeup. It's affordable, gentle on the skin and completely removes my makeup without making me breakout. If you haven't tried it yet, I would definitely recommend it!

To further remove any makeup straggling behind and to over all cleanse my face, I turn to my tried and true Noxema. I've tried multiple higher end and drugstore cleansers, but basically always return to this guy. It's not that the others didn't work (they did!), but I was going through them too quickly and it was getting pricey. Noxema is a good price that lasts a long time. It really cleanses my skin without the stripping it of all it's natural oils. Whenever I use it, my skin feels tingly, fresh and very well cleansed.

My favourite mask of the moment is definitely the Aztec Secret Healing Clay mask (thanks Amazon for the ugly sticker on the container). I've talked about this before on here and it's amazing! It's best to use it with apple cider vinegar and once you get past the weird smell, it does wonders for your skin. It draws out all the dirt and sebum clogging your pores. It feels very very tight when it starts to dry and even makes your face pulsate. It really brings your blood closer to the surface. When you wash it off - don't be alarmed at how red your face is! It's probably best to do this mask at night or when you have nowhere to go right afterwards. After the redness goes away, your skin will feel amazing.

Every once in awhile, I like to use these Bioré nose strips. My nose is the worst spot for me blackhead wise. These strips really work and pull the nastiness right out of my pores. It's disgusting, but also very satisfying? I used one the other night and I was shocked at how  such a large piece of grossness was in one pore. 

After my face is nice and clean, I like to give it a nice dose of moisture. I really like the Shseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer. My skin is combo. My T zone can get super oily. This cream is nice because it's light. It doesn't make me feel greasy or anything like that. It just makes my skin feel healthy and soft.

For an eye cream, I'm enjoying the Ole Henriksen  Banana Bright eye cream. It does just what it says - brighten your under eyes. It's a nice light and cool feeling cream. I definitely notice the brightening and it depuffs slightly too. 

I also have the Milk Makeup Cooling Water. It's essentially a stick of a gel like consistency that has cooling effects. It helps depuff your eyes and generally refreshes you. It's definitely a summer must have.



Have you tried any of these products? What are your current skincare obsessions? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, 

Rhubarb crisp

I recently found myself invited to my future in laws, and decided, an hour and a half before we were to be there, that I should make a dessert. I quickly threw my cupboards open, but could not find a single thing that could be made that quickly, or didn't have the ingredients for my old standbys. Also, my fiances family are not ones for overly sweet desserts.

It suddenly occurred to me that I had rhubarb in my freezer that my grandma had sent back with me at the end of a recent trip home. I suddenly knew I had to make something with it, as being tangy and tart, I figured it would be perfect for his family. A pie couldn't be made from scratch and baked in an hour and a half, but a crisp certainly could. I quickly Googled a recipe, and the following recipe, from www.geniuskitchen.com, was the first one to come up that I had all the ingredients for, and it turned out perfectly. Even my fiances ultra picky brother asked if I could make him another one if he bought me more rhubarb. It was a hit all around, so I want to share it with you today!

Genius Kitchen Rhubarb Crisp

• 8 cups rhubarb, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Combine rhubarb, sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon and put in an 8 x 8" glass baking dish.

Combine flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, and melted butter, and sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Let cool until just warm and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did! Let me know in the comments below if you make it, and whether it was a hit!

WOULD YOU RATHER: Harry Potter / Fantastic Beasts Edition

So today I watched the new trailer for Fantastic Beasts and it got me right in the feels. I started to feel nostalgic of the good ol' Harry Potter days and thought I would do a would you rather. Now I know I did one of these not that long ago, but this will be different and it's just what I was in the mood for.


WOULD YOU RATHER... 

 1; Have Ron for a friend OR have Hermione as a friend? 

I would have to say Hermione. I love Ron but I feel like he isn't always as good as a friend as he could be. He lets his feelings and jealousy get in the way. Hermione is strong, smart, loyal and independent. Of course I would want to be friends with someone I admire.

 2; Fight the Basilisk OR fight a Dementor 

I mean obviously I wouldn't want to fight either. I'm not terrified of snakes, but I'd sure as hell be terrified of a giant one like that. A dementor is so scary with how it sucks out all your happiness, but I think I would prefer a dementor... and by that I mean I might stand more of a chance with one.

3; Spend a weekend with Dudley Dursley OR spend a weekend with Kreacher the house elf?

Neither of them are a bright ray of sunshine, but maybe Kreacher? 

 4; Be a Quidditch Keeper OR be a Quidditch Beater?

I'm not very athletic, so I would be terrible at both. However, I'd probably be a terrible Keeper and everyone would make up a new version of Weasley is Our King. At least with being a Beater, I could take out all of my frustrations.

  5; Be sorted into Ravenclaw OR be sorted into Hufflepuff?

Well seeing as I am a Ravenclaw..

6; Have an Invisibility Cloak OR have a Time-Turner?

I don't think I would be responsible nor careful enough to have a Time-Turner. So I'll say an Invisibility Cloak because that would just be amazing.

  7; Receive a Howler in front of your friends OR eat a vomit flavored Every Flavoured Bean?

Well I'd probably actually vomit eating a vomit flavoured bean. Have you ever had one of those? I have and they are nasty. A Howler would be embarrassing, but I'll take it.

8; Attend the Yule Ball OR attend the Quidditch World Cup?

The Yule Ball would be so beautiful and fun, but the Quidditch World Cup would be such a cool event to experience! As long as there's no Death Eaters though.


  9; Spend an afternoon in the Burrow with the Weasley's OR spend an afternoon in Diagon Alley? 

Diagon Alley. It's magical. (Literally and figuratively) 

10; Have Severus Snape as your father OR have Dolores Umbridge as your mother?

SNAPE. Listen, he may have been a complete jerk to Harry, but I understand. Umbridge is simply a terrible, terrible woman. Can you imagine having her as a mom?! The punishments would be so scary.

 11; Have a pet Hippogriff OR have a pet Phoenix?
 
I love both. But also, a Niffler.

  12; Have a flying broomstick OR have an enchanted flying car?

Broom.

 15; Spend a week lost in the Forbidden Forest OR spend a day in Azkaban?

Hmm. Hopefully nothing would kill me or try to eat in the forest. Also if I were in Azkaban would I be like Sirius and not be quite so affected because I know I'm not guilty of anything?

  16; Change the story so that Dumbledore does not get killed OR change the story so that Sirius does not get killed?

Unpopular opinion alert: I don't like Dumbledore. He's a good character, but later on when you learn of his plans for Harry, I can't help but to not like him. I loved Sirius and I loved the relationship between him and Harry. It would have been so nice to see more of that.

17; Spend an hour talking with J.K. Rowling OR spend an hour talking with Daniel Radcliffe?

Oh gosh. I don't even know! J.K Rowling is the mastermind behind all of this and would be so amazing to hear more details and her thought process. Dan Rad was Harry Potter though and he was my first celebrity crush. I was so obsessed with him and I would be the biggest fan girl ever.

18; Harry Potter OR Newt Scamander?

Sorry Newt, but my heart is with Harry.

19; Have a magical suitcase OR Apparate?

A suitcase is cool and everything, but what if I lose it? I mean I could Apparate anyways, but if I could only do one I'd still say Apparition.

20; Grindelwald or Voldemort?

What kind of question is this? I don't think I could say one is better/ worse than the other. I think that Voldemort was a terrible/amazing villain in the story and it turned out amazingly.
We don't really know much about Grindelwald yet. However, I'm interested to see the story he has in the movie compared to the little bit of information we know from the books. Already I don't think it will follow the book. I am eager to see the Grindelwald/Dumbledore dynamic in the movie. However. I don't like Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. He doesn't look right at all. And Jude Law needs a better British accent as Dumbledore.


Let me know what you would pick!
Are you excited for the new Fantastic Beasts movie or do you think it just shoudn't be a thing?

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see a Marauders era movie. That would be bloody brilliant.

Until next time,

Makeup Forever Pro Light Fusion highlighter all day wear test

I love love love all makeup, but my absolute favourite makeup item is highlighter. I am obsessed with a good glow. My biggest obstacle with highlighter is my glasses. Frankly, they’re massive, and in the summer months, they can really shift my cheek makeup, even with a healthy dose of setting spray. I also find that some of the shine of the product just obscured just by being behind glasses. I wanted to find something with a strong pop that was long wearing, so I headed to Sephora. I’ll be honest, I’m an easy sell, so when the girl immediately suggested this product for its high shine and longevity, I went for it without many questions.

I decided the best way to test it out is to do a day long wear test, involving walking to and from the bus station in the hot sun, and a day sitting at a desk in an office, which I always find makes my face feel greasy and a bit gross, and which wears my makeup off. Upon first look, I liked how shiny it was. A lot of drugstore highlighters seem to have a duller shine. It’s also a relatively large pan.

I first put the product on at 10 AM. It went on nice and smooth, and didn’t have a ton of fallout, which was nice. It had a great shine to it, and I was feeling good. In total, I did about 30 minutes of walking and waiting in the morning, in the hot sun. I was at work all day, then came home.

The second photo was taken at 10 PM, after doing some chores around the house. As you can see, it didn’t have a ton of lasting power. There’s still some shine, but I think that’s mostly my sweat at this point. 

I do have to saw it had wow factor at first, so I definitely think it’ll be great for shorter periods, such as a nice dinner. But for long periods of time, I didn’t find that it stayed on any longer or stayed any shinier than anything I’ve bought in the drugstore, although it was way less chalk than most cheaper alternatives. 

All in all, I’d say this is good if it’s not particularly warm out, or for a shorter event, but it doesn’t have the staying power that was promised in my opinion. I’ll continue to use it, but won’t go out of my way to repurchase it, unless I try it out on a cooler day. Could be good for winter! Only time will tell.

Have you tried this product? Did you have a good experience? Do you have another favourite long lasting highlighter? Let me know in the comments below!